The Maintenance Shop spring concert series

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Christopher the Conquered, seen here, will perform with TWINS and Bleujack on April 7 at the The Maintenance Shop in Ames.

AMES — The Iowa State University Memorial Union and Student Union Board wind down their spring semester concert schedule for The Maintenance Shop (M-Shop), the award-winning, all-ages venue that has been providing live music for the ISU campus and Ames community since 1974, with a variety of concerts.

Patrons can visit the M-Shop online (www.sub.iastate.edu/mshop) for additional show information and website links.

Christoper the Conquered w/ TWINS and Bleujack (interstellar soul)

April 7 at 9 p.m. Tickets are: $10 ($5 w/ ISU Student ID)

Iowa’s own Christopher the Conquered is a quickly rising force in the local music scene. In the summer of 2015, he shared the stage with Natalie Prass and handed her an early copy of his full-length debut album, I’m Giving Up On Rock & Roll. She in turn passed it on to Ryan Adams who took to Twitter and Instagram calling the album, “Crazy and incredible.” Soon after, Christopher landed on the front page of Reddit and in Billboard as the title track and single “I’m Giving Up On Rock & Roll” quickly passed 60,000 plays on Soundcloud. This properly set the stage for the album’s 2016 release and subsequent acclaim from critics and fans alike.

COIN (indie pop)

April 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are: $15 ($10 w/ ISU Student ID)

Formed in Nashville, but carving a space in the field of bright, synth-spiked indie pop more often associated with L.A. and N.Y.C., COIN was started by students at Belmont University in 2012. They sold out a show for the first time by the summer of 2013, and the quartet signed with Columbia that fall. Working with producer and co-writer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Cage the Elephant), they released their self-titled debut in 2015 and quickly gained attention for their hit-single “Run.”

Glen Phillips explores universal themes of transition in his new solo effort, Swallowed by the New. Phillips has always been a courageous and inviting songwriter and he deepens the personal aspects of his songwriting with this quiet, intimate album. During his years as lead singer of the influential alt-rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket, the group’s elegant folk/pop sound and Phillips’ honest, introspective lyrics, helped them forge a close bond with their fans. Since starting his solo career, Phillips has pared his music down to its emotional core, concentrating on the simple truths of love and relationships, with a profound spiritual understanding.

For the past 40+ years, Robin & Linda Williams have made it their mission to perform the music that they love, “a robust blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country that combines wryly observant lyrics with a wide-ranging melodicism.” Today some might call it “Americana,” but these two revered music masters were living and breathing this elixir 20 years before that label was turned into a radio format. Robin & Linda have made appearances on such major programs as The Grand Old Opry, Austin City Limits, Music City Tonight, Mountain Stage and they continue to make frequent appearances on A Prairie Home Companion.

Tickets are available at the Maintenance Shop Box Office, open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and before and during most shows. Patrons may also order by phone at 515-294-8349, during normal box office hours, and online 24/7 at www.midwestix.com, charging their tickets to Discover, MasterCard or Visa. A $1 per-ticket service fee will be applied to all telephone orders and a 3 percent service fee is applied to all online orders.

Most tickets increase by $2 day of show and all tickets are subject to a $2 MidwesTIX service fee.